Thailand’s Tourism and Sports Ministry to propose reopening Test & Go registration by February
It’s no surprise that Thailand’s tourism officials are pushing to reopen registration for the Test & Go quarantine exemption scheme. The Tourism and Sports Minister told Thai media that the ministry, along with the Public Health Ministry, will make a proposal to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration to resume registration for the entry scheme by February.
The minister, Pipat Ratchakitprakarn, told reporters that the Covid-19 situation in Thailand is under the control and past its peak, adding that Thailand is estimated to welcome 8 million visitors this year and generate over 480,000 million baht. The CCSA will hold a small meeting tomorrow and make final decisions during its general meeting chaired by PM Prayut Chan-o-cha on Thursday.
Registration for the Test & Go scheme for the past month due to the Omicron outbreak in Thailand, but those who had already registered have been able to still enter under the scheme. Test & Go vaccinated travellers to enter Thailand with just a minimal quarantine period, typically up to a night stay at an approved hotel, while they wait for the results from an RT-PCR test to come back.
Pipat shared that it’s time to resume the scheme again as the Ministry of Public Health can control the spread seeing from the number of new cases which is decreased day by day. He continued saying that the number raised from 7,000 cases to 8,000 cases after the new year from January 10 to 14 January, adding that the infection rate has passed its peak. While Omicron has been on the rise, many people in Thailand who have been infected with the variant haven’t reported severe symptoms. He added that over 70% of the population have received two doses of the Covid-19 vaccine.
But the resumption of the scheme might come with tougher measures. According to the governor for the Tourism Authority of Thailand, officials are mulling over possible Covid-19 prevention measures for those entering the country under the scheme. After reports in Thai media of several travellers “escaping” from quarantine while they waited for their on-arrival test results, officials are now discussing whether to require travellers to download the Mor Chana application to track their location.
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